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Post by carmatic on Sept 14, 2017 1:53:11 GMT
Hello everyone, I was wondering if it was possible to make some kind of in line filter, somewhat akin to the Kameleon , but with adjustable controls for frequency and attenuation, and for the left and right channels separately
I had many problems with channel imbalance with the IEM's and headphones I have owned, and because I listen to bassy music, I get particularly sensitive to imbalance on the low frequencies
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solderdude
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Post by solderdude on Sept 14, 2017 4:58:36 GMT
Welcome to the forum.
Low frequency imbalance with earphones and IEM's usually points to seal problems. Have you tried inserting the left channel in the right ear and the right channel in the left ear ? I have listened to (and measured) a lot of headphones and found channel imbalance rarely occurs.
The same can be done with on-ear headphones and over ear headphones.
When the issue goes to the other ear the problem is the source (amplifier/phone) and when the problem remains it is a hearing/ear/seal issue.
You could use a Kameleon to EQ only one channel, but this is an active filter. Passive filters can only attenuate bass. That is not what you are looking for. When it is a seal issue then EQ may probably not help either. It will continue to sound strange.
I use a Kameleon with a filter on one side only as well to control my tinnitus and make the sound 'balanced' again between left and right ear.
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Post by carmatic on Sept 14, 2017 10:05:04 GMT
Thanks for the reply On the ER-4XR IEM's I have owned, I was able to swap the drivers around, while keeping the same tips on the same sides, and I could definitely hear which driver has the increased bass... Maybe it's just my luck but the only recent pair of earphones I have had where the sound was balanced was my first pair of Bose Soundtrue Ultra's , I gave it away and bought a second pair which had the bass skewed to the left I am more than happy to try attenuating the bass on the stronger side, especially if it can be done passively so as to lower the cost and preserve sound quality
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solderdude
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Post by solderdude on Sept 14, 2017 10:21:15 GMT
Haven't got much experience with IEM's. Don't like their sound (most are too rolled off) and can't get a good fit on the left side. The same with earbuds.
I have had numorous occasions where pads weren't correctly mounted and that channel clearly lacked bass.
I would send in the second pair for repair (when still under warranty) but first look whether or not the pads are secured properly on both sides. A tiny gap can be the cause of (substantial in some cases) channel imbalance in the bass.
When designing a passive filter I would need to know the amount of bass attenuation that is needed per frequency from 30Hz to 1kHz and know which headphone it is all about.
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Post by carmatic on Sept 15, 2017 12:20:49 GMT
I would like to be able to adjust both the center frequency and the attenuation amount the filter with small screw pots, is this possible to do passively?
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solderdude
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Post by solderdude on Sept 15, 2017 13:57:06 GMT
Alas no, this is not possible. The amount of attenuation is possible using a potmeter but varying the cutoff frequency is not possible as it would require variable capacitances.
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